MANCHESTER – After only one live meeting, the governing body was back to the Zoom format because of Gov. Phil Murphy’s rollback on how many people can attend public gatherings.
The Council’s Aug. 10 meeting was held electronically only because, “we are back to Zoom virtual meeting due to the governor’s recent order limiting indoor capacity at 25,” Township Clerk Sabina T. Martin said.
Councilman Craig Wallis noted that a few weeks ago he had asked the council president and vice president of the council during their bi-weekly meeting to look at a resolution asking the governor, legislature and county Freeholders “to start moving this COVID step up. People are being hurt still with the lockdown – like this meeting – on what I would say is a whim…”
“(Murphy) is using broad strokes that I feel should be more finely addressed. We don’t have a problem with 30-40 people at our live meetings but instead we are back to a Zoom meeting again,” Wallis added.
Wallis said he would like to see the council approve a resolution to be sent to the governor’s office and legislature to “start moving these things along. He can’t keep using a broad brush on these things. It might need to be refined. There are some things you don’t need to set a limit of 25 people on, as in our meetings.”
In other business Mayor Ken Palmer reported on the aftermath of power loss in the township from the recent Tropical Storm Isaias.
“A number of our residents had lost power and I want to single out Ron Crocker who is our new representative with JCP&L. He was extremely responsive and every time I gave him a call he picked up the phone even when it was 9 or 10 at night and provided great information. With specific problems he followed up and he saw to it that residents got attention,” the mayor said.
“I was out of town on vacation, still manning the phones but (Township Business Administrator) Donna (Markulic) and (Asst. Business Administrator) Jim (Gant) came to me with the idea of doing the cooling stations and in a matter of 30 minutes they had them up and running and properly manned for our residents to go to. I don’t know if anyone actually took us up on going to the cooling stations but I was really impressed at just how fast our EMS, our fire company and police all got together to make those available to our residents,” Palmer added.
Resident Carly Fredericks asked the council, “being that public meetings can only be offered virtually or limited in person, would the (Planning) Board consider delaying the Sept. 4 meeting to address the Brentwood Estate sub-division to accommodate full public participation?”
Councilman Robert Hudak’s report served as a response to Fredericks inquiry saying he had attended the last Planning Board meeting that “Mrs. Fredericks was talking about concerning the Brentwood Estates application for a sub-division and at this time it is being adjourned.
“I’m not sure if September will be the date. I know notice of a date for that will be required for that application. It may be delayed beyond September but we don’t have a date at this point,” Hudak added.
Fredericks asked if when the meeting was scheduled it could be broken up into two meetings one for the public hearing and another for the vote on it.
“That request usually comes from the applicant himself not the objectors but the request can be made and I would suggest it be made to the Planning Board secretary. It is probably better to put it in writing as opposed to e-mailing it,” Hudak recommended.
Fredericks also asked what the best source was for information about regulations pertaining to rentals in the township was and Council President Sam Fusaro directed her to the Zoning Officer as all information on township codes would be on file with the zoning board office.
Councilman James Vaccaro reminded residents to continue to wear their face masks and when applicable protective gloves for safety, and use hand sanitizer during the pandemic.
He did not, however, call upon the governing body to draft an ordinance in regard to prohibiting use and distribution of marijuana within the township. The councilman had made that request during each meeting of the council for over a year now.
That omission was not missed by resident Edward Lynch who commented on the issue. “I would back that resolution because the country is circling the drain right now with drugs and alcohol and I just want to know when you guys are going to put it on the agenda?”
Fusaro responded “there are already laws that you can’t sell it unless it is medicinal and if you have hemp plants it is a first class crime. Also on the November election the state is putting it before the public and anything we do before this would have to be changed to whatever happens in the election.
“When we do an ordinance it does cost to put it out to the public in all the newspapers, just drafting it, and it goes through multiple times so if we were to do anything today whatever happens in November could make us do an entirely different set of ordinances,” Fusaro said.
He added that “we will be watching and if we don’t get the right answer out of the polls then we will take action but for now it is premature.”
